The OCD Southern California Speaker Series conference is being held on Saturday, May 30, 2026 from 10am – 3pm PT. Check-in for the event will open at 9:30am. We suggest you arrive early for check-in and then the event will begin promptly at 10am. If you have not registered for the event, there are still low-cost tickets available. Your registration includes a catered meal, beverages, and free parking. For more information and to register, visit: https://ocdspeakerseries.eventbrite.com.
Our event program, which will include full talk descriptions, is coming soon. The program will be posted on the main page of our website, as well as our official Speaker Series page on our website (https://ocdsocal.org/programs/speakerseries/).
Here is the agenda for the event, that includes a rundown of the day’s events, titles of the presentations, and details of the break-out sessions being offered:
Registration: 9:30amPT
The event will be at Orange Coast College located at 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa, CA, 92626. Please park in parking lots C, D and E, which are adjacent to the College Center Building. This is the building where the event is being held. Parking is free on Saturdays (please do not park in staff parking). After parking, please proceed to where the event is being held, in the College Center Building, and go up to the third floor where the check-in desk is located. You do not need to bring your EventBrite ticket; we have the names of everyone who registered and will check you in at the check-in table.
Introduction and Welcome: 10 – 10:15amPT
An OCD Southern California board member (http://ocdsocal.org/about-us/board-of-directors/) will welcome attendees, go over the day’s events, and announce additional important information. Then the event’s presentations will begin.
The event is offering 12 total presentations with a final 13th presentation featuring all of the day’s speakers for an “Ask the Expert” Q&A Panel. If you scroll below, you will notice that the day is split into 4 sessions. During the first 3 sessions there are four talks being offered simultaneously and you can pick which one you would like to attend. Then the Q&A panel is for everyone in attendance.
Again this year, we are offering 3 continuing education credits (CEs) for licensed clinicians (LMFTs, LPCCs, LCSWs, and psychologists). These talks, specifically for mental health providers, will be held in the venue’s ballroom and will be held at the same time as the talks for the general public. NOTE: Pre-licensed trainees, students, and other mental health providers in the field are welcome to attend the CE talks. However, we are not able to offer CE’s to those attendees. Therefore, you can register as a general attendee. We thank USC for sponsoring the CEs!
Treating OCD: Assessment to Maintenance – Curtis Hsia, PhD OC Anxiety Center
Lunch: 12:30pmPT
Orange Coast College is providing a catered lunch and beverages. There will be different food options to choose from; you will select your preferred option at check-in. The lunches are provided in portable dinnerware. We ask you to bring your food into the room of the presentation you are choosing to watch during session three.
Maximizing Your Insurance Benefits to Cover OCD Treatment – Michelle Malloy, MFT, PMH-C OC-Therapy and Megan Alberoni, MA, BCBA
More Than OCD: Real Stories of Recovery and Living Fully – Jennie Kuckertz, PhD – Jennie M. Kuckertz, PhD | McLean Hospital, Cathy Agostino, Dylan Mitchell, Gur Yilmaz, and Jarret Lovell.
Ask The Experts: Summary Q&A Panel – All of the event’s presenters
Please join us for an opportunity to ask questions of a panel consisting of all of the event’s presenters. This is an opportunity to ask any of the questions you were unable to ask during the day, or if you were unable to attend one of the presentaitons, that talk’s presenters will be able to answer your questions at this panel. The panel will consist of leading OCD experts and will be held in the ballroom.
Opportunity Drawing
Additionally, for those still in attendance at the end of our OCD Southern California Speaker Series conference event, we will be hosting an opportunity drawing for an opportunity to win gift card prizes! The ticket to win is already included with your registration at no additional cost!
Event Concludes: 3:00pmPT
On your way out, please make sure to sign up for OCD Southern California’s mailing list, our free and virtual Family and Loved One’s OCD Support Group, and complete a quick evaluation of the event.
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We look forward to seeing everyone at the Speaker Series event. Make sure to register before the event is sold out! For more information and to register for the event, click here: https://ocdspeakerseries.eventbrite.com.
A reminder, OCD Southern California is offering 3 CEs for LCSW, LMFT, LPCC, and Psychologists who attend the CE track of this event!
Chris Trondsen, LMFT, a clinician with OCD, and his mom, Liz Trondsen, are excited to remind you about our May, virtual, free Family and Loved Ones OCD Support Group. It will be held Saturday, May 9, for two hours, from 11 AM – 1 PM PDT. This support group is every second Saturday of the month, from 11am to 1pm Pacific Time. It is a free, virtual support group available to anyone from anywhere!
To join the support group, email info@ocdsocal.org and simply request the event’s Zoom link or for more information!
Our guest for the Saturday, May 9th, Family and Loved Ones’ OCD Support Group is author, speaker, trainer, and leader in the field, C. Alec Pollard, Ph.D. As group facilitators, it is our mission to bring top-notch guests to each of our support groups to address different aspects of loving and supporting someone with OCD. The support group is 2 hours, from 11am to 1pm Pacific Time, and will start with our guest, Dr. Alec Pollard, discussing relevant information to attendees with a loved one suffering from OCD. The second half will feature a question-and-answer segment where attendees can ask live questions, or ask them publicly or anonymously in the chat! Here is more information on the details to be discussed on May 9th, as well as information on our guest speaker, Dr. Pollard!
We often hear from attendees that they are struggling to get their loved one into OCD treatment, either for the first time or to treatment after a previous negative experience with therapy. Alec will address this problem, including ways to discuss treatment with your loved one, how to reduce accommodations and enabling, reducing home stress, and ultimately, what you, the loved one, can do to improve the situation even if your loved one is not involved in the treatment plan.
Additionally, many of you have a loved one in OCD treatment, yet they are falling short of hitting their treatment goals, and it feels as if they are not giving their “all” in treatment. Alec Pollard, Ph.D., will address potential treatment-interfering behaviors (TIBs) at play, the role of supporters, ways to help your loved one be more successful in treatment, and, ultimately, how to address a loved one in treatment who is not experiencing much success.
Dr. Pollard will draw on both his clinical expertise and material from his popular book, “When a Loved One Won’t Seek Mental Health Treatment.” You will learn ways to improve your family’s current situation, even if your loved one is not in treatment or is not interested in collaborating if they are. This talk will be for family members, loved ones, spouses, friends, and anyone supporting a person in their life with OCD. People with OCD, educators, therapists, and anyone interested in the material are welcome to join!
Alec Pollard, Ph.D., will then answer your questions during the Q&A before the group’s conclusion!
Here is Dr. Pollard’s bio:
Dr. Pollard is Founding Director of the Center for OCD and Anxiety-Related Disorders at Saint Louis Behavioral Medicine Institute and Professor Emeritus of Family and Community Medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. He is a licensed psychologist who works with a range of obsessive-compulsive and anxiety-related disorders, with a special interest in obstacles that inhibit the pursuit of recovery or interfere with effective participation in treatment. He is on the Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board of the International OCD Foundation and chairs the organization’s Training Committee, including a national training initiative called the Behavior Therapy Training Institute. Dr. Pollard is former chair of the Clinical Advisory Board of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America and has authored or coauthored over 100 publications, including his most recent book entitled When a Loved One Won’t Seek Mental Health Treatment: How to Promote Recovery and Reclaim Your Family’s Well-Being, now available in Spanish.
We will see you Saturday, May 9th, from 11 AM – 1 PM PDT!
The event is open to loved ones, family members and spouses of someone with OCD, as well as people with OCD—or anyone else interested.
To join the support group, email info@ocdsocal.org and simply request the event’s Zoom link or for more information!
The support group facilitators:
Chris Trondsen suffered with severe OCD and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) until receiving specialized treatment. No longer under the control of the disorders, Chris is now a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) at the Gateway Institute in Costa Mesa. He received his bachelor’s degree in human development and psychology from California State University, Long Beach. Additionally, Chris earned a Master of Science (M.S.) Degree in Counseling at California State University, Fullerton. Chris is on the Board of Directors for the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF), as well as in leadership for four of their special interest groups (SIG) including the BDD SIG, Trauma & Grief SIG, and others. He also currently serves as the Vice President of the IOCDF’s Southern California Affiliate (OCD Southern California – OCD So Cal), leading efforts in OCD awareness and education in the local community. Chris is a national speaker on OCD and was the keynote speaker at the International OCD Foundation’s yearly conference in 2011. He continues to be a regular presenter at the IOCDF’s annual conferences. At the annual conference, Chris helped create the Young Adult Track, which is now an essential part of the conference’s program.
Liz Trondsen is the mother of a son with mental illness. When her son, Chris, was diagnosed at age twenty, she was able to locate a treatment center in Los Angeles where he received excellent cognitive behavioral therapy. From a young man consumed with obsessions and compulsions, Liz watched her son regain his life, graduate college, and now work to help others fight this disorder. Liz helps to facilitate a Family Support Group online that brings families and people with OCD together to provide support, suggestions and hope to one another. Liz graduated from CSULB with a bachelor’s in science in Dietetics and Food Administration and completed her dietetic internship in Detroit, Michigan. Liz spent her career working in hospitals, as a Food Service Director and a Clinical Nutrition Manager. Since retiring in 2024, Liz has focused her interests on nutrition and mental health. With the others on this panel, she has presented twice at the IOCDF conference and presents an update annually to the Family and Loved One’s OCD Support Group.
The Proposal System for the 2026 Online OCD Conference, a Global Event, is now open! If you are interested in presenting at this global event, please log into your Google account, click the link that takes you to the conference proposal page, and follow the instructions to submit a presentation! Online OCD Conference Proposal Submission Page
The Online OCD Conference – hosted by OCD SoCal, will be held on Saturday and Sunday, November 7-8, 2026.
Whether you’re a seasoned speaker or new to presenting, we invite you to participate in the OCD Online Conference. This globally connected event brings together varied voices from around the world. We welcome innovative ideas, fresh perspectives, and research that resonates across borders from mental health providers, researchers, individuals with lived experience and their families, and others interested in speaking on OCD and related disorders.
OCD SoCal values perspectives from individuals with lived experience. To maximize the number of voices represented, we are unable to accept proposals for single presenter talks at this time. If you are interested in speaking, we encourage you to collaborate with your therapist to form a panel. Panels allow for a richer exchange of insights and can offer both valuable information and inspiration to a broader audience.
If you would like to speak at this conference, please go to https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLScRR12Q…/viewform to submit a proposal (this is a Google Doc, so you may need to log into your Google account to access the form).
The deadline for proposals is Monday, May 20, 2026.
When opened, the Proposal Form will have answers to FAQs. We hope you consider submitting a proposal!
According to the conference evaluations from last year, here are the topics our attendees want to see more of:
OCD Subtypes
Comorbidities (especially trauma, OCPD, ASD)
OCRDs
Identity / culture
Kids
Talks that incorporate: Accessing treatment & concrete resources
Case Examples / Hands On / Practical Strategies
For more information on the conference, please visit our dedicated page on our website for the Online OCD Conference, A Global Event, hosted by OCD Southern California: https://ocdsocal.org/conference/
Register Today for OCD SoCal’s Saturday, May 30th, 10am – 3pm, In-Person Speaker Series! We are currently offering discounted, early-bird registration so sign up today!
What is new this year is that OCD SoCal is holding one Speakers Series event in one central location at Orange Coast College! We invite everyone in Southern California to join us under one roof!
This low-cost, in-person event will feature presentations by local, Southern California OCD treatment providers. They will facilitate panels and presentations on OCD and related disorders. This will also be an excellent opportunity to meet and connect with others in similar situations as you and your family in the local OCD community. This event is for individuals with OCD, their family members and loved ones, mental health providers, students and the general public. Talks for the general public will be presented throughout the day. We are also pleased to announce that we will be offering 3 Continuing Education credit for professionals (LMFTs, LPCCs, LCSWs, and psychologists)!
Ticket Prices:
Early Bird Tickets (ends April 20): $10.00
General Admission (ends May 14): $15.00
May 15 – May 30: $18.00
Beverages and a catered lunch will be provided. Parking is free.
More information will be provided soon on the agenda, the program and the speakers on the Speaker Series page on our website: ocdsocal.org/speakerseries. For further information on the Speakers Series, please contact us through email at info@ocdsocal.org. Once again, we will be hosting one Speaker Series event this year in a central location and invite all of the Southern California OCD community to join us and connect in one location! To register for this event, click on: https://ocdspeakerseries.eventbrite.com.
Meet the 23 presenters who will be speaking on Saturday, May 30th, at our in person, OCD Southern California Speaker Series (names in alphabetical order by first name):
Dr. Pollard is Founding Director of the Center for OCD & Anxiety-Related Disorders (COARD) and Professor Emeritus of Family and Community Medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. He graduated in 1981 from the California School of Professional Psychology-San Diego with a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and received postdoctoral training in anxiety disorders at the Behavior Therapy Unit at Temple University Health Sciences Center. Dr. Pollard is a licensed psychologist who works with a range of obsessive-compulsive and anxiety-related disorders, with a special interest in patients ambivalent about or resistant to therapy. He is on the Scientific Advisory Board of the International OCD Foundation and chairs the organization’s national training initiative: the Behavior Therapy Training Institute. Dr. Pollard also serves on the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Canadian Institute for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders and the Obsessive-Compulsive Cognitions Working Group research collaborative, and is former chair of the Clinical Advisory Board of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. He serves as a reviewer for a number of professional journals and conference program committees and has authored more than 100 publications, including 2 books: The Agoraphobia Workbook and Dying of Embarrassment: Help for Social Anxiety & Phobia.
Barbara Van Noppen, PhD is the Vice Chair for Faculty Development, Argyros Family Foundation Endowed Chair in OCD and Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences at University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles. Dr. Van Noppen is co-Director (with Adam Frank, MD) of the OCD Treatment and Research Program at Keck Medicine, USC. As an internationally recognized specialist in cognitive behavioral therapy and family-based treatment, Dr. Van Noppen has treated OCD for 40 years and “coined” the term “Family Accommodation” for OCD in 1990. She teaches and supervises in the residency training program at LA General Medical Center, serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the International OCD Foundation, the Scientific Advisory Committee of The Canadian Institute for Obsessive Compulsive Disorders (CIOCD) and International Accreditation Task Force. Dr. Van Noppen is most well known for her contributions in OCD family treatment, particularly the development of a Multifamily Behavioral Treatment (MFBT), Family Accommodation Scale (FAS), group CBT for OCD and she has numerous publications and clinical research in these areas. In addition, Dr. Van Noppen is a faculty member for the Behavioral Therapy Training Institute of the International OCD Foundation, and is on editorial boards for peer reviewed journal articles on OCD. Dr. Van Noppen served as the president of OCD Southern California, an affiliate of the International OCD Foundation, and is currently a board member Emeritus.
Cathy Agostino will be a panelist on the talk, “More than OCD: Real Stories of Recovery and Living Fully.” Her journey with OCD began in her early 20s, shortly after graduating college. Like many others, she faced the challenges of navigating a new diagnosis while transitioning into adulthood. However, through years of dedicated therapy and persistence, she successfully reclaimed her life. Today, Cathy is living a full and vibrant life, but she hasn’t forgotten the hurdles she cleared along the way. Driven by her own success in treatment, she is now devoting her time to the Southern California OCD community. Her mission is twofold:
Raising Awareness: Helping others recognize OCD not as a lifelong sentence of struggle, but as a highly treatable illness.
Providing Insight: Sharing her personal perspective to offer hope and practical understanding to those still in the thick of their journey.
Cathy is a firm believer that with the right tools and support, everyone living with OCD can find their path to a fulfilling life.
Chris Trondsen suffered with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) until receiving specialized treatment. No longer under the control of the disorders, Chris now works as a clinician in the mental health field, treating OCD, BDD, and related disorders at The Gateway Institute in Costa Mesa, California. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Psychology at California State University, Long Beach, and earned a Masters of Science in Counseling at California State University, Fullerton. Chris has shared his story of recovery on the Montel Williams Show, Dr. Drew, Fox 5 San Diego, Vox, Vice, Buzzfeed, NBC, and speaking at IOCDF annual conferences. He also on the Board of Directors of the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) and is one of the IOCDF’s lead advocates. He is also a member of their BDD, OCD, PTSD & Trauma, Young Adult, and LGBTQ+ Special Interest Groups, and created the Young Adult Track at the annual IOCDF conference.
Dr. Curtis Hsia is a Southern California native who attended UCLA for his undergraduate degree in psychology where he began clinical experience working with children with autism with Dr. Ivar Lovaas. Reluctantly leaving Orange County, he attended Hofstra University, where he earned his doctoral degree in a combined clinical and school psychology program. While there, he interned with Dr. Neziroglu and Dr. Yaryura-Tobias, both researching and treating OCD. Dr. Hsia wrote and presented several peer reviewed articles and learned the intricacies of cognitive behavioral therapy, and in particular, exposure and response prevention. He furthered his skills and training with Dr. David Barlow at Boston University’s Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders as a postdoctoral fellow where he primarily focused on Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia and the intensive treatment programs for panic disorder and specific phobias.
Dr. Hsia then returned to California and held a professorship at Azusa Pacific University as well as several other posts, including Chair of Undergraduate Research and Assistant Chair of the Psychology Department. In 2012, he opened the Anxiety Research Center, which is now known as the Orange County Anxiety Center. He continues to engage in research, is currently writing a book tentatively titled “The Anxious Christian”, and enjoys hiking with his wife, young son and dog, Pavlov.
Dylan Mitchell will be a panelist on the talk, “More than OCD: Real Stories of Recovery and Living Fully.” Dylan had struggled with OCD for about 10 years of his adult life. But with the tips and tricks he learned from the Gateway Institute, from his therapists Jim Sterner, LMFT, and Chris Trondsen, LMFT, and life, Dylan is able to conquer OCD and make it into something that is more bearable in his life.
Elena Fasan (she/her) is an LCSW and psychotherapist specializing in the treatment of OCD, anxiety disorders, and related disorders in children, adolescents, and emerging adults. She is the founder and director of the Children’s OCD & Anxiety Collective and sees clients in person in Pasadena, CA, and virtually in CA, WA, FL, and some international countries. Elena trained at UCLA’s Child and Adolescent OCD Intensive Outpatient Treatment Program at the Semel Institute and worked at the OCD Center of Los Angeles as a staff therapist before going into private practice. She is passionate about providing evidence-based treatment grounded in CBT, including ERP, ACT, HRT, ComB, and SPACE and advocating for young people diagnosed with OCD and related disorders. Elena also has a special interest in educating and helping parents, caregivers, and others who support those young people. Her background in childcare and her academic study of child and adolescent development and then social work inform her work and collaboration with clients, parents, and families. She is also an educator, with experience working as an adjunct lecturer in the Department of Child and Adolescent Development at California State University, Northridge, her undergraduate alma mater.
Gur Yilmaz will be a panelist on the talk, “More than OCD: Real Stories of Recovery and Living Fully.” He is originally from Izmir, Turkey. He is 41 and currently in recovery from OCD. He states that recovery means he is able to live his life more without the ball and chain called OCD. Gur has dealt with OCD since the age of 12. He has had about every symptom and subcategory of OCD from magical thinking, blurting things out loud to psychosomatic features becoming reality. Recovery to him means being on medication and being consistent with specialized therapy and most importantly the awareness of self. Gur was a kid who couldn’t come out of his room, served 5 years in the military and became a nurse during COVID and eventually transferred over to the Department of Defense wherehe works as a psychiatric nurse for active duty members and dependents. Gur’s OCD was especially difficult during his time in the military. Finding an OCD specific therapist, going to OCD anonymous groups, and spending time at Rogers Behavioral Health IOP/PHP have all been tough work but were invaluable resources that have aided him in his journey. It is Gur’s dream to help others with OCD and show them that anyone can knock down the walls of compulsions and live free.
Dr. Jennie Kuckertz is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and the Administrative Director of Research at the McLean Hospital OCD Institute. She is also a faculty member at San Diego State University and Harvard Medical School. She has been working with individuals with OCD for over 15 years, and is committed to improving access to OCD treatment through direct patient care, training of early career OCD professionals, research, and advocacy. Her private practice focuses largely on working with children, teens, and young adults with OCD and other anxiety disorders. Dr. Kuckertz’s program of research, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, focuses on how and why exposure therapies work best.
Dr. Jennifer O’Connor is a licensed clinical psychologist and an expert in the field of anxiety and eating disorder treatment. Dr. O’Connor has been featured as an anxiety specialist on the Anderson Cooper Show, CNN Headline News, and A&E’s “Obsessed,” a TV series documenting CBT treatment of individuals with OCD. Dr. O’Connor trained at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles/ USC’s Keck School of Medicine where she specialized in pediatric and adolescent mental health. Dr. O’Connor then served as a direct patient care psychologist for 7 years in hospital and residential care settings, treating eating and anxiety disorders in children, teens and adults before transitioning to private practice in San Clemente. She has been practicing as a licensed psychologist since 2005, and has served as Adjunct Faculty at University of West Alabama Online Counseling and Psychology Program since 2010. Dr. O’Connor relies on evidenced-based practices including exposure therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and dialectical behavior therapy to help her clients to discover freedom in their daily lives.
Dr. Jennifer Siegel is a board-certified psychiatrist practicing in Southern California. She earned her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine after graduating summa cum laude from Washington University in St. Louis, where she received her bachelor’s degree in psychology with minors in graphic design and studio art. She completed her psychiatry residency training at the University of Southern California, where she served as chief resident of outpatient psychiatry. Currently, Dr. Siegel specializes in medication management & therapy for OCD, OCD-related disorders, and anxiety spectrum disorders. She sees clients through her private practice as well as at OCD/anxiety-focused IOP/PHP programs.
Jarret Lovell is Professor of Politics, Administration & Justice at California State University, Fullerton. As a child, he spent countless hours performing daily rituals to keep intrusive thoughts about death and “thought contamination” at bay. After seeing an interview with Judith Rappaport on the Phil Donahue Show, he finally had a name for his suffering, and he confessed to his mother that he had OCD. His path to recovery began on his first day as a university student, receiving a referral to Dr. Rodney Boone from the student health center. As a graduate student, he attended a weekly support group at the Center of Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy in New York run by Dr. Steven Philipson, treating ERP homework as part of his graduate studies. In 2010, he began follow-up treatment at the Gateway Institute with Dr. Jim Sterner, and he has attended a support group each week led by Chris Trondsen, LMFT, since then. Today, he continues to practice ERP, viewing it as akin to the daily reading assignments he expects of his students. Jarret will be a panelist on the talk, “More than OCD: Real Stories of Recovery and Living Fully.”
Kevin Foss, MFT, is the founder and director of the California OCD and Anxiety Treatment Center in Fullerton, CA. Kevin and the team at CalOCD treat the full range of OCD subtypes, as well as all other OCD spectrum disorders online, in-person, in-office group, and IOP settings. In addition to being a speaker on OCD and related disorders with the IOCDF and elsewhere, he is a writer for Psychology Today, and is the host of the FearCast Podcast, a question and answer based show about OCD and anxiety spectrum disorders.
Dr. Khashayar Nattagh earned his medical degree from UCSF and completed his psychiatry residency at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. He specialized in OCD and related disorders at UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. There, he trained at the intensive outpatient program for adults with OCD, the insomnia clinic, and the outpatient specialty clinic for children and adolescents with OCD, anxiety, and tic disorders.
He now uses his training to take care of his patients. He also volunteers as an adjunct clinical assistant professor at USC Keck School of Medicine to advance research on how TMS and psychotherapy can be combined to improve treatments for OCD.
Lauren Rosen, LMFT, has dedicated her career to providing compassionate, evidence-based psychotherapy to those with OCD and Anxiety Disorders. She graduated summa cum laude from UCLA with her BA in Psychology, earned her Masters in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University, and trained at the OCD Center of Los Angeles. In 2022, Lauren founded the Center for the Obsessive Mind, an outpatient clinic serving individuals in California, Florida, Utah, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania and select other states and countries. She and her team use ERP, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, to help people take their lives back from anxiety, distress and intrusive thoughts. Lauren is the author of The Mental Compulsions Workbook for OCD. You can find Lauren on Instagram and via the Purely OCD Podcast.
Mary (Sponaugle) Neustaedter, MFT, is a psychotherapist licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist in the State of California. Mary received her Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Chapman University in Orange, CA. Prior to joining the clinical staff of the OCD Center of Los Angeles, Mary worked as a psychotherapist at The Gateway Institute in Costa Mesa, CA, where she specialized in the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and related-anxiety disorders. While there, Mary provided individual therapy, group therapy, and intensive outpatient treatment using Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and mindfulness techniques. Mary has extensive experience working with all types of OCD (including all “Pure O” variants such as HOCD, POCD, ROCD, and Harm OCD), Social Anxiety, Phobias, Dermatillomania and Trichotillomania. Mary’s work at the OCD Center of Los Angeles focuses on CBT for adults, adolescents and children suffering from OCD. Mary has experience working with children ages 9-17, and collaborating with schools to form IEP and 504 accommodations. Her prior counseling experience includes The Francis Smith Center for Individual and Family Therapy, working with clientele suffering from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Panic Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Mood Disorders. Prior to entering the field of therapy, Mary earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology at the University of Redlands. Mary is a member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT), and the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF), and was a presenter at the IOCDF annual conference in 2017. Mary has also been involved with OCD SoCal, an affiliate of the International OCD Foundation, since 2015.
Max Maisel, PhD is a clinical psychologist specializing in anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive and related disorders (e.g., tics/Tourette’s, Pure-O presentations, obsessional rumination, sensorimotor OCD, and body-focused repetitive behaviors) who blends compassion with clarity and evidence-based strategies to help people reclaim lives that feel meaningful and whole.
As the founder and clinical director of Beachfront Anxiety Specialists in Redondo Beach, Los Angeles, and online, Max leads a boutique practice devoted to precision care, prioritizing not just symptom reduction, but durable psychological flexibility, relational connection, and values-driven living. He specializes in integrating change-focused evidence-based practices such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), CBT, and Meta-Cognitive Therapy (MCT), all strategies that empower clients to interrupt unhelpful cycles without becoming stuck in avoidance or reassurance-seeking.
Max maintains active professional affiliations with the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) and the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS), where he serves in leadership roles and continues to advocate for behavior-analytic, context-driven approaches to psychological care.
Megan Alberoni, MA, BCBA, is an individual living with OCD who works closely with children with special needs in clinical practice and through a nonprofit dance program for individuals with disabilities. Driven by her own experiences, she is a strong advocate for access to care and is committed to helping others understand their rights and pathways to life-saving treatment.
Michelle Malloy completed her Bachelor’s Degree at UCLA in Psychology and her Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from Cal State Fullerton. She is licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFC 46002). She has worked in mental health for over twenty years.
Michelle received training from the UCLA Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Clinic and Western Youth Services. She has previously worked for College Hospital in their Partial Hospitalization Program and was a Part-Time Faculty Member at Cal State Fullerton where she taught Abnormal Psychology. Michelle also worked for St. Joseph’s Hospital in their Eating Disorder and Partial Hospitalization Programs.
Michelle is actively involved with the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Foundation and has served as co-therapist to Dr. Reid Wilson in his 2 day treatment program for OCD. She also consults for Buzzfeed Video and LuciesList regarding mental health issues.
Dr. Sanjaya Saxena has focused his clinical practice and research on OCD and Related Disorders for 30 years. He has treated over 1000 patients with OCD, Hoarding Disorder, BDD, Trichotillomania, and Skin Picking. He directed the UCLA OCD Research Program for 10 years, then directed the UC San Diego OCD Program for 14 years. He also has worked in intensive treatment programs. Dr. Saxena is on the Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board of the IOCDF and has served as faculty for 5 IOCDF BTTI’s. He has trained, supervised, and taught psychiatry, psychology, and other mental health trainees for over 25 years.
Sheva Rajaee, LMFT, is the founder and clinical director of The Center for Anxiety and OCD in Irvine, California, where she leads a team of clinicians specializing in the treatment of anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). She is the author of Relationship OCD, and has been featured on CNN, TED Talks, interviewed in HuffPost, and appeared on multiple episodes of The OCD Stories podcast as well as other leading mental health platforms.
Dr. Stephanie Davis is a licensed psychologist who runs a private practice in Orange County specializing in OCD, anxiety disorders, and misophonia. She began her career counseling young adult populations at universities (BYU, Texas A&M, and St. Edward’s). While there she led anxiety and OCD groups, supervised graduate students in their clinical work, and supervised employees at a university crisis hotline. To further solidify her specialization in anxiety disorders and OCD, Dr. Davis completed a second post-doc at the Orange County Anxiety Center and continued working there until opening her private practice. Dr. Davis offers consultation services to clinicians and is a frequent speaker at conferences and community events addressing OCD and anxiety-related concerns.
Sue (pronouns: she/her) is a licensed clinical social worker in the states of California, Illinois and Ohio. She received her master’s degree in social work from the Jane Adams School of Social Work, University of Illinois at Chicago in 2000 and a bachelor’s degree in social work at Illinois State University in 1998. In the past, she has worked in foster care, group homes, residential treatment centers and community mental health settings. For over 10 years, Sue worked for one of the leading psychiatric facilities in the nation, Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital. While being part of a group practice from 2009 to 2015, she opened her own private practice in October 2014. After building a successful practice in the Chicagoland area, Sue moved her practice to San Diego in 2019.
Sue is a member of the National Association of Social Workers, a member of the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF), and the International Association of Trauma Professionals. In December 2022, she joined the Board of Directors of OCD SoCal, the local IOCDF affiliate, which was created to increase awareness and improve access to treatment for OCD and related disorders throughout Southern California. Sue founded and facilitates a Peer OCD Consultation group for clinicians in Southern California that treat OCD. In addition to the support that she enjoys providing to clinicians who treat OCD, she also helps facilitate a monthly support group for people living with OCD.
Register Today for OCD SoCal’s Saturday, May 30th, 10am – 3pm, In-Person Speaker Series! We are currently offering discounted, early-bird registration for only $10, so sign up today!
